Monday, January 26, 2015

As you know, I created this blog to help me find my passions again. I am a self proclaimed artist and a die hard creative. So I wanted to share with you my tips for succeeding as an artist.

Being an artist definitely has its challenges so I compiled this list to help you overcome those obstacles and to help you succeed in your craft.

10 Tips to Help You Succeed as an Artist

1. DO NOT COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS.

Theodore Roosevelt said it best when he said, "Comparison is the thief of joy." There are many talented people out there and it doesn't mean your work is any less amazing because they exist. Do not allow yourself to get discouraged or intimidated by other talent. You were gifted with a talent, let it shine!2. PRACTICE ALWAYS, IMPROVE ALWAYS.

Art is just like any other skill and you must continue to practice. With each time, you will get better and better, just as you would get stronger and stronger if you continue to work out. Remember, every artist was once an amateur.

3. YOU'RE ONLY AS GOOD AS YOU WANT TO BE.

You get to decide how good you are going to be. Set your goals high, decide what it is that you want to do and go for it. You should be asking yourself everyday "What have I done today that has brought me closer to my goal?" Keep your short term goals in line with your long term goals. Work hard and be persistent!

4. YOU CAN'T BE EVERY ONE'S CUP OF TEA, SOME PEOPLE JUST LIKE COFFEE.Yeah, yeah, so-and-so doesn't like your work, and so-and-so thinks it stupid. WHATEVER. You know what you need to do? Just accept it and move on. Why? Because not everyone is going to like what you do and that is okay! All art is subjective, which means that everyone who sees it is going to have a different opinion on it. And, again, it's okay! Keep going and don't give up! If everyone liked the same things, then all clothing would look the same, all houses would look the same, all art would look the same. Don't allow yourself to be discouraged because someone doesn't like your work. It's okay, your art is tea, and they only like coffee.

5. DON'T SELL YOURSELF SHORT JUST TO MAKE A SALE.This is a common thing that many beginner artists and creatives do to try to get their work seen or to try to get work. But don't do it! You deserve to be paid for your time, your materials, and your vision. Trust me, I have been there! I once asked $40 dollars for a painting that took me about 7 hours. That means, I only made about $5.71/hour, not even minimum wage in most states! But I took it because I wanted the work and it excited me that someone wanted my art. Don't be scared that someone might be turned off by your prices; if they value you and your craft, they will pay a fair price for your time.

6. SLOW DOWN.

When you are excited about a project, it's easy to want to speed through the process to get to the end result, but do yourself a favor and slow down. Enjoy the process and let yourself fall into the details. Don't rush, there is absolutely no reason to! You will get more satisfaction and practice out of it if you take your time. 7. CHALLENGE YOURSELF.

Don't get stuck in what you are familiar with. Try something new and scary and outside your comfort zone. If you are guilt of only doing one type of art, say portraits, try abstract. If you only do abstract, try portraits. If you only do pencil, try paint. Or even if you only do smaller paintings, try painting a large scale piece. The more you challenge yourself, the better artist you are going to become. Plus, it keeps it exciting and fresh and the more creative you are, the more creativity you have!8. MAKE TIME FOR YOUR CRAFT.

Don't lie to yourself and say "I don't have time for X and Y. I'm sooooo busy!" I've consulted with Maury and we have determined "that's a lie." Just like anything else, you have to make time for it. Make time to meet your goals and to practice or just take a few minutes to sketch and brainstorm. You have to make time for it or you will NEVER have time. My dad tells me all the time, "Even Einstein had time to play the violin."

9. OBSERVE OTHERS.So you want to know how to be successful at what you do? The key is in observing others. Now, I'm not talking about copying what other people do or their work, I'm talking about seeing their journey and taking a look at how they made it to where they are. What kinds of behaviors can you emulate? Did they become successful by practicing constantly? Did they become successful by being persistent? Because they used social media? Because they opened their own shop? Because they went to school? Did they quit their job and took a leap of faith? Learn from them! You can learn so much by finding successful people to be your source of inspiration to succeed.

10. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF.

And of course, you must, must, MUST believe in yourself. If you do not have faith in what you do, how to you expect others to carry you? If you don't think you can possibly succeed, how will you? If you think you are just waiting for an opportunity, you are missing your opportunity. Believe in yourself! Believe in your art. Believe that you can succeed. Believe that you can and you will!

Need more resources?

Here are some awesome books you can read and take a look at to help fuel your creative and spiritual mind.

It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want To Be by Paul ArdenThirty One Days of Prayer for the Dreamer and Doer by Jenn Sprinkle, Kelly Rucker and friends of The {WELL} Studio

Ignore Everybody and 39 Other Keys to Creativity by Hugh MacLeod

Do you have any tips for succeeding as an Artist? Share them in the comments!

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

I posted previously a bunch of inspiration pictures of herringbone tiled kitchen backsplashes. We used those as our inspiration for our DIY project and now it is finally finished!
My husband came home from work and worked on it late into the night for a few days. What a sweetheart! It looks amazing and I am so happy with it.

Here are the before and after pics of our kitchen's transformation!!

We found the perfect tiles by Allen + Roth at Lowes. They had a mesh backing and were already placed in that pattern, which made the work much, much easier. They were $12.98 for each square.
Here is the stock pic from the Lowes website.

This picture totally does not do it justice though! They are much lighter and they have a good amount of shine to them that glitters in the light. They are beautiful!

You do still have to cut down the other pieces to fill the triangle spaces above and below, but the rest of the process was super easy. These tiles even come with directions on the packaging that detail the supplies you'll need.

Here are a few more pics for you to check it out! Seriously though, I am OBSESSED.

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

We are ready to install a backsplash in our kitchen and I have become absolutely obsessed with the herringbone tile pattern! We found the perfect tiles at Lowes and we will begin installing it today. I'm so excited! Here are some of the pics that inspired our new DIY Project.